ILTS Music (212) study plan

Inventory every subarea the exam can draw from (theory and harmony, aural skills, history and literature, world music, conducting and rehearsal, pedagogy, and professional practice), then rank them by personal weakness using a timed 40-question self-diagnostic.

Write out from memory the circle of fifths, all major and minor key signatures, and the diatonic chord qualities in major and minor, then self-check and correct errors in a color-coded error log.

Notate and spell all intervals from unison through octave in both directions, including enharmonic equivalents, and drill 30 of them cold.

Set up a spaced-repetition deck covering key signatures, interval spelling, and chord symbols, capped at 20 new cards per day.

Analyze 10 short passages (8-16 bars) by Roman numeral, labeling cadences as authentic, half, plagal, or deceptive and identifying any secondary dominants or borrowed chords.

Harmonize 5 given soprano lines of 8 bars each in four voices, checking for parallel fifths and octaves and resolving all tendency tones correctly.

Identify by ear 20 recorded progressions as I-IV-V-I, I-vi-IV-V, ii-V-I, or I-V-vi-IV, scoring accuracy and re-drilling misses.

Memorize the standard forms (binary, rounded binary, ternary, sonata, rondo, theme and variations, fugue) and label the form of 10 short works from a listening list.

Build a chronological timeline of Western music from medieval through contemporary, placing 40 representative composers and one signature work each on it from memory.

Describe the defining stylistic traits of each era (texture, harmony, instrumentation, forms) in 3-4 sentences per era without notes.

Identify 25 works by ear from short excerpts, naming composer, era, and genre, and log accuracy.

Compare three pairs of commonly confused composers or works (for example, similar-era symphonists) and write a distinguishing feature for each pair.

Map the instruments of the orchestra to their families, ranges, transpositions, and clefs, and transcribe a 4-bar concert-pitch melody into written pitch for B-flat trumpet, F horn, and E-flat alto sax.

Classify 30 world-music traditions by region, characteristic instruments, scales or modes, and typical ensemble, and match each to a listening example.

Explain the construction and cultural use of at least 10 non-Western instruments, including Indonesian gamelan, Indian sitar and tabla, and West African djembe and kora.

Distinguish jazz styles (ragtime, swing, bebop, cool, modal, fusion) by era, typical instrumentation, and two defining performers each.

Conduct a 16-bar score from memory of the meter, tempo, and dynamic markings, and self-assess beat pattern accuracy against a metronome at three tempos.

Write rehearsal plans for two short ensemble pieces, each naming three specific problems, a targeted rehearsal technique for each, and a warm-up that addresses them.

Diagnose common ensemble faults (intonation drift, rushing, unbalanced sections, unclear attacks) and prescribe a fix for each in writing.

Demonstrate and describe proper breathing, posture, and tone-production fundamentals for voice and for one wind instrument.

Sequence a 6-week beginning-instrument unit that states measurable objectives, repertoire, assessment criteria, and differentiation for two learner profiles.

Write a one-page rubric for assessing a student performance on tone, rhythm, technique, and musicality, with four achievement levels and observable descriptors.

Explain the legal and ethical basics of copyright and fair use for classroom copying and performance licensing in 5 bullet points you could defend aloud.

Outline a recruiting and retention plan for a school ensemble, naming three concrete actions and how each would be measured.

Complete two full-length timed practice tests under exam conditions, then classify every missed question by subarea and error type (knowledge gap, misread, careless).

Re-teach your five weakest subareas using the error log, writing a one-paragraph summary of each concept in your own words.

Drill 40 aural-skills items (interval, chord quality, scale type, error detection) and track accuracy by item type.

Reduce your spaced-repetition deck by retiring cards you now answer reliably twice in a row.

Take one final timed practice test and compare subarea scores against week 1 and week 7 to confirm upward trends.

Review only flagged weak items and the error log, spending no time on already-mastered material.

Rehearse exam-day logistics: pacing per question, when to skip and return, and how to handle listening items that require a second hearing.

Write a one-page condensed fact sheet of the 30 facts you most often missed and recite it aloud from memory.